Retrouvaille
by WhereWeDream
Summary: Dan is in the process of trying to pass his classes at University when thoughts of the letters he had once received came flooding back. Small side notes and handwriting of a friend seem to become familiar to him.
1. Chapter 1

He could say he had a best friend. It was a friend he cared about, who enjoyed all the same things he did and he knew everything about this boy. All but one small detail, his name.

Dan had written to this mysterious sixteen-year-old boy from Lancashire who had the same interest as him. Through the time they had wrote back and forth, Dan had yet to discover his name. The boy didn't know Dan's name either. The two had come to an agreement that they would stay anonymous for the time and that maybe one day they would learn each others names.

After several years of writing to one another, the letters stop coming. Dan would go out to the mailbox every day hoping for a new letter from his friend, but no more arrived. It worried him, but Dan had convinced himself that the boy must have had a good reason to stop writing him.

He would admit that he missed the weekly letters. He missed talking to the boy he had learned to much about. They had intelligent, drawn out conversations through these letters that Dan could never have again with anyone else. He would do anything to have one more letter from the boy.

Through these letters Dan learned so much about this boy. He learned that this boy was beautiful, well at least that's what he got from it all. Dark hair styled much like his own with eyes that were the opposite of his brown ones, bright blue. He didn't learn much more of his appearance, but tidbits of what he looked like came up in some other letters. From all the information he had gathered from the hundreds of letters, the boy he had created in his head was beautiful.

When Dan had stopped getting the letters, he spend hours upon hours looking up the boys address, trying to find his name. He wanted to find who he was writing to, he wanted to know even though he could no longer talk to him. With no luck, he couldn't find anyone's name from the address he had been mailing to letters to. After a few months, he gave up.

Now years later, he rarely thought of the letters or the boy who sent them. He had given up on writing anymore to the boy as well, for however many he sent, Dan would get none back. He had University to worry about now, not letters that had ended 3 years ago.

Textbooks cluttered Dan's desk as he tried to study what he thought he missed today in one of his classes. Usually he wouldn't be this worried about studying, but finals were happening soon and he has already been threatened by his parents. If he didn't pass what he needed to they were going to kill him. Dan didn't want to retake anything either, so he was studying for the sake of everyone.

After two long hours staring a hole through the two pages of his textbook, Dan gave up. There was no way he would be able to learn anything from that stupid book alone. Closing the book and shoving it back in his bag, he glanced at the clock to sighed at the time it showed. Ten o'clock.

Changing quickly into pajamas, he climbed into bed, pulling the comforter up to his chin. He quickly sunk into a deep sleep, being exhausted even after having a full day home sick. Dan had decided that he would just ask to borrow his friend's notes tomorrow, he just hoped Phil wouldn't mind.

In the morning, Dan woke up to the ringing sound of his alarm clock. He turned in his bed, moving his hand towards the alarm managing to swat it off the nightstand. It crashed to the floor, turning off once it collided the carpet. Dan jerked the comforter over his head, creating a barrier between him and the sunlight that was seeping in from behind the blue curtains.

Class started at ten which was great for him. He never had to wake up early. Most the time he did anyway. Like now, for example. It's 8:10, Dan is awake, thinking about classes that he might fail, then what his parents are going to do to him.

With waking up at the early hour, he got things done he couldn't the night before. Breakfast could be taken at a slower pace and not just scarfed down as he walked out the door. Also, lucky for him, the college was a pleasant 6 minute walk from where he had lived for the 4 months. Meaning as long as he left with all his things at 9:45, he could easily make it to class before another boring lecture started.

Deciding that it was probably a good idea to get up, Dan slid out from under the pile of blankets and went to get a change of clothes for the day. He showered quickly before changing into his usual black jeans and random t-shirt he had pulled from his dresser. He ate breakfast before trying to straighten his hair.

Oh, so how he wished his hair was just naturally straight. It was a pain to take time to straighten his hair almost every day. His friends told him that he shouldn't worry about it, that they liked it. But he didn't, so he took the time.

After his battle with his hobbit hair was won, and it was straight once again he grabbed his bag and slipped his coat on, heading out the door.

He walked down the one flight of stairs and out into the frigid air. He had forgotten how cold it had actually been after being tucked warmly away in his apartment. He shoved his hands into his pockets and tried to pick up his pace. He thanked God that he didn't live any further away than this.

Dan wished at times that he lived on campus, but living in a building where they didn't party every weekend was nice. He enjoyed his time sleeping more than he did staying up late, getting drunk and having sex with a girl he's never met. Dan was never really the partying type anyway, he never felt like he fit in when he was drug to a party after some sporting event. Several of his friends in high school had loved to go out on weekends. They would call Dan and beg him to come along, but he would decline by giving them some ridiculous excuse. Later he would receive drunken text that made him even more glad that he had rejected the invitation.

Dan finally made it to the school with five minutes to spare, finding his way to his first class and sliding into the seat beside Phil. He dropped his bag by his side after pulling out a textbook and a notebook.

"You better not still be sick," Phil joked. "I don't need that right now."

Dan just rolled his eyes. "I'm fine, but could I borrow your notes from yesterday?" He leaned with his arms on top of the table, watching his friend fiddle around with his notes. "I can give them back to you tomorrow."

Phil just nodded, handing the two sheets of paper to Dan who slipped the pages into a folder.

Class began shortly after, only leaving the two to get a few more words in with each other. Dan hated that this was the only time he got to talk to Phil. Sure they were friends, but they never really did anything out of this class or talk about anything other than _this class_. Before the start of the class, Dan didn't really know Phil. After about three weeks of sitting together, Dan started small talk and they went out to Starbucks after school that day. Their friendship really didn't bloom. It wasn't that Dan didn't like Phil, he adored the guy, but they really didn't have time to do anything. If Dan wasn't doing anything then Phil was, and vice versa.

The previous day, Phil had texted Dan to make sure he wasn't dead because Dan never misses, but they usually don't text much. It was something that only happened in emergency situations or when there was a simple question for the class. Usually the latter of the two.

Dan would love to hang out with Phil more, but their situations just didn't seem to work out. He enjoyed the time they went out to Starbucks, but that had been months ago. He told himself hundreds of times that he would ask Phil if he wanted to go out for coffee again, but backed down out of the fear of being rejected.

The rest of Dan's day was spent either in a classroom chair or one placed at a library table. He had retreated to the partly quite library after his classes were over. The table he set at was now cluttered with notes, an open textbook, a notebook, and binder. A few more binders and textbooks were stacked on the opposite side of the table.

He ran the highlighter over the most import things, turning the page into a neon yellow mess. When he had finally finished with whatever math he had, he slipped the pages away, shutting the open textbook and placing it with the others. He pulled out the notes Phil had let him borrow, setting them to the side while he reaches for another notebook to copy what Phil at written.

He slides the pages close together, reading over what was written and rewriting what was most important. He was halfway down the first page when he froze, his pen still gushing ink onto his paper.

The small notes that Phil had written on the margin of the paper reminded him so much of the letters he once received.

They would be written with a pen that couldn't be erased, whenever the boy had once written he'd wanted to add something, he would jot it off to the side. Just like Phil.

Dan let the thought slide. Lots of people did that, write sideways on the side of the paper, creating a mess of black ink. It just reminded him so much of the letters he missed getting.

After he finished copying what he had missed, he shifted all his stuff in his bag. Standing from the library table, he swung the bag over his shoulder, heading back out into the brittle winter air.


	2. Chapter 2

It was Friday and Dan was going to do it. He had worked up enough guts to ask his one friend to go out for coffee after class. If he got rejected, what would be the issue? It's not like it would be the first time he had been turned down. And it wasn't like he was asking him out. It was just for a friendly cup of coffee, two friends and a Starbucks. Maybe the time would end up being less talking or drinking coffee and more homework or notes being scattered about the table.

Dan hoped they could do something partly normal. Talk about hobbies and not class or the test that were putting stress on Dan. He crossed his fingers, praying this would turn out well, that it would actually turn out at all.

He slid into his seat that Friday, only having a moment to say a small hello to Phil before a loud voice started up from the front. Notes were being taken, but nothing was registering. They were all just random words floating around the room, a word hitting him here and there, an occasional, "any questions?"

When the class finally ended, he was glad. Dan snapped out of his day dreaming haze and back to reality. He tries to put his things away, glancing to Phil who was standing to leave.

"Hey Phil, uh..." He stopped and waited a moment for Phil to turn towards him.

There was a small smile of curiosity across Phil's face as he looked down at the other boy who was struggling to fit everything in his bag.

"Um, I was wondering if you wanted to go get coffee or something?" Dan paused, "b-because we don't do a lot together and I think you're a pretty cool guy." Dan forced a small on his face, hiding his nervousness far below. He shoved the rest of his stuff in his bag, standing up to face Phil.

"Sure! Want to meet at the library after all our classes and go from there?"

Dan nodded and smiled to the other boy. "Yeah, I'll see you then."

Phil said a quick goodbye and left, leaving Dan standing in the almost empty room. He mentally high fived himself and congratulated him on the not too awful talking he did.

Dan pulled himself together and left the classroom, heading towards another long lecture.

Dan was done at four, so was Phil. It had came up in murmuring that Dan did about how he wanted it "to be four already," so he could go home. Phil must have remembered his soft words, even though Dan knew him complaining was one of the most annoying things.

But now he was stalking around the entrance of the library waiting on Phil. He had been there less than five minutes when he thought that maybe Phil was going to bail on him. That he probably had better things to do than hang out with Dan.

A moment after the thoughts had passed through his head, Phil appeared at the other side of the hall. Dan began to walk towards him to meet in the middle.

"Hey," Phil greeted him with a bright smile.

"Hello," Dan stopped in front of him, "want to just go to Starbucks since it's close?" Dan didn't really feel like walking any further than a few minutes away because of the cold air that still lingered outside.

Phil just nodded and they started down the hall to the exit, walking side by side.

They stepped outside into the winter air. It froze the tip of their noses and chilled the ends of their fingers before they could be slipped into pockets. Dan shivered and beside him Phil did the same. Dan moved his hands quickly to zip the rest of his coat up, helping guard him from more of the winter air.

"Maybe walking out in this weather wasn't such a brilliant idea." Phil spoke from beside Dan. Hands down deep in his pockets as his shivered in the cold.

Dan couldn't help but chuckle softly, out of all the days he had asked Phil to do something with him, it had to be one of the coldest of the year... and they had to be outside to go to where Dan wanted to go.

"Yeah, maybe we should have just went to my apartment, it's plenty warm and only a few minutes walk away." Dan told Phil, glancing to his side at the other boy.

Phil nodded in agreement, "maybe next time?"

Dan almost stopped walking. Did Phil really want to hang out with him more? They hadn't even finished this small outing yet, how did Phil know that Dan wasn't some kind of crazy lunatic outside of class? Yeah, they had went out once before but that had been months ago.

Dan smiled to himself in delight, maybe he would gain a new best friend today.

They were both glad to walk into the Starbucks and it be toasty warm. It smelled of strong coffee and different sugary sweets.

Dan took in the warmth, along with the heavenly aromas. He shifted out of his heavy coat and draped it over his arm out of the fear of now being too hot. Phil followed.

Both ordering the same thing and swiftly collecting their orders, they shuffled to an empty seat. Dan placed his bag and coat in the corner against the wall, sliding in after his stuff.

"So," Dan started when they were both settled into their sets. "How's the rest of your classes been?"

He silently cursed himself for the first thing that he brought up be about school, even after he told himself that he wanted to get away from any conversations about school.

"Not how I would like them, that's for sure." Phil told him lifting his drink to his lips. "How about yours?"

Dan thought for a moment, leaning against the table that sat in front of him. "could be better." He paused, "wish I had you there to talk to."

Phil just smiled at him, "I wish I had you with me too. I hate that we only talk in one class."

Dan nodded in agreement before taking a sip from his drink, leaning back into his seat.

"You're really are a nice guy. We should hang out more," Phil continued. "Doing this every once and a while could be fun."

Dan took in a breath, thanking God that Phil wanted to be here. He had a great fear that the only reason Phil had joined him was because he felt bad and didn't want to hurt Dan's feelings.

"Yeah, I don't get out much for other than Uni." He took a quick drink of his warm coffee, sliding the cup back into the middle of the table, still holding it tight with both hands. "Don't have anyone to actually go out with," he finished.

Phil nodded, "I have my friend PJ, but we never do anything. He is always out at some party with his other friends, that's not really my type of thing."

He leaned against the tabletop as he spoke, watching as Dan messed with the edge of his cup. They were quiet for a moment, both sitting in silence, watching out the window to Dan's right, continuing to sip on warm coffees. Dan finally spoke, snapping Phil's attention back to him.

"You know, we don't really know a lot about each other," Dan told him. "I mean, like unless you are some super stalker?"

Phil grinned but shook his head. "Not that I know of. Okay, so what is your favorite animal?"

"Oh my God, I was expecting some questions about adult stuff, not animals. But I'll take questions like this any day." He stopped, thinking. "Llamas... definitely llamas."

Phil laughed at him with a wide smile. "Mine would have to be lions, but llamas are cool too."

"Favorite band?" Dan asked.

"Muse."

"Wait, really?" Dan was sure he had a look of disbelief on his face. No one he had ever met in real life liked the same band he did.

"I love Muse!" He beamed, "wow, I honestly didn't think we would have anything in common."

They continued on with their questions, going through a few more until their coffees' began to get cold and they drank the rest down.

Dan glanced at the time on his phone, then back to Phil who was doing the same.

"Um, maybe we should be going, it's going to get colder as the sun goes down." Dan didn't have to walk far, but he was almost 100% sure Phil lived on the other side of campus which was a good 15 minute walk.

Walking 15 minutes home on a windy winter night was not a fun thing to do. Dan knew that from experience. There had been plenty of walks home as the sun set and the temperature dropped in high school. No one was able to pick him up from whatever after school activity he was doing that day, so he would walk.

They stood up together, collecting their things and slipping in their coats before heading towards the door. Dan had stopped Phil from opening the door out into the cold air.

"You live on the other side of campus, right?" Dan asked even though he was sure it was a 'yes'.

"Yeah... why?" Phil arched a brow, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"How long does it take to walk there, 15-20 minutes?"

"About 20 minutes."

"Since it's so far away and it's like Antartica out there, _and_ it could start snowing at moment, would you like to stay over at my flat?" Dan asked, putting his hands in his pockets as well, rocking back and forth on his heels.

"No, no, that's alright. I don't want to invade." Phil told him with a small, thankful, smile.

"You wouldn't be, I promise, Dan erged. "It's not like I have family there to bother, it's just me."

There was a moment where Phil was thinking and they stood in silence. Dan wished that Phil would just believe him that it would be no trouble. It was Friday as well. Dan had no where to go the following day, but he didn't know what Phil's plans were. From the conversation they just had, Dan bet he wasn't doing anything. But who knows?

"You sure I won't be bothering you?"

"Cross my heart," Dan smiled, motioning his finger over his chest creating an 'x'.

Phil laughed quietly at his childish promise.

"Fine." He gave in, "but I'm leaving once it's as it will get in the morning."

Dan moved from in front of Phil so they could walk out the door. Phil pushed the door open, holding it for Dan as he walked out. They walked side by side down the almost empty sidewalk and began to talk again.

"You can stay however long. You could even move in if you wanted too," Dan joked. "I honestly don't care. It gets a little lonely sometimes though."

Phil nodded, "I know what you mean. The guy I room with is never there. I don't mind having my own room, but it gets boring not having anyone to talk to."

They walked in silence the rest of the way which only ended up being a few more minutes. When they arrived at Dan's flat, he lead them to the elevator and up to the fourth floor. There was a small hall that led from the elevator to two flats, one on each side of the hall. They were fairly large and with the building that held them being small, each floor could only hold two apartments.

Dan pulled the key from his pocket, unlocking the door and swinging it open. He walked inside, Phil following behind. Dan hung his coat up by the door, Phil sliding his off and doing the same.

"I'm so glad it's warm in here." Dan let out a sigh.

Both their cheeks were wind burnt, bright red, and their noses and fingers still tingled from the brisk winter air.

* * *

**Yes, this is a really cheesy chapter, I'm aware. I think it is still kinda cute. I try not to say I don't really like a chapter then post it anyway, but I honesty don't care for this one. It is more of a filler leading up to something. *wink wink* *nudge nudge* Also please excuse any of my silly typos, I never had anyone read over it. (I really hope I'm not going to ruin this story with my horrible writing. I love my idea for it, but my writing is going to kill it.)**


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